CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Penn State running back Saquon Barkley has such an unusual first name that the boys in the ESPN booth often called him by that name only.

Like Elvis or LeBron. Or, going all gender equity here, Cher or Beyonce.

It could've been the same for Ohio State's freshman running back J.K. Dobbins, had he chosen to use his given name, J'Kaylin.

The eye-catching Dobbins

Barkley, who is also a very good return man, is eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft. A lot of Cleveland Browns fans get all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about using him to play rock'em, sock'em AFC North football. Add sometimes amaze 'em football, too, given his dazzling jump cuts.

Dobbins, who has two years to go until his NFL apprenticeship in Columbus is over, won't be on the draft board until 2020. By which time, we might find out whether the Buckeyes' flash really does have a higher upside than Barkley, which was my first thought after seeing them both play this year.

Dobbins' edge over Barkley in stats, which I delineated in the wake of his Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player award, only reinforced that idea. Dobbins had more 100-yard games (six to four in the regular season) and a higher average per carry (7.2-yard average to 5.9).

Dobbins could also play a mean game of jump-cut hopscotch with Barkley. Choosing between those two guys for best highlights is like choosing between "abracadabra" and "shazam" for the better magic word. There is no loser in the highlight tape of these two.

It is a bit risky using comparative stats because Big Ten mismatches against such teams as Rutgers and Maryland might limit caries.

Big game limitations

Or because panic after falling behind might also take the ball out the rusher's hands. (Talking about you, Buckeyes, at Iowa.)

Penn State definitely leaned on Barkley too much in the Nittany Lions' come-from-ahead loss, 39-28, at Ohio State.

The Buckeyes, however, virtually abandoned the run that bizarre afternoon in Iowa City.

Ohio State game-planned for Barkley and a dominant defensive front held him to 44 yards on 21 carries. One carry featured one of his jump-cut surrealisms for a 36-yard touchdown. Barkley took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, too.

In the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer became so obsessed with getting fifth-year quarterback J.T. Barrett a farewell victory that he buttoned the offense up to Woody Hayes extent after taking a 24-0 lead. Dobbins never got a full menu of chances.

Combines, hype, and draft picks

Barkley's NFL combine 40-yard dash time was better than Zeke Elliott's and his weight room work topped Browns' future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas in his long-ago day under the microscope.

Dobbins started at Ohio State as a true freshman, which not even Elliott, one of the Buckeyes' greatest running backs ever, could say.

Barkley is going to be a very good NFL player. But he does recall, with his additional ability as a return man and his huge preseason Heisman build-up, the disappointing Browns pick from Michigan, Jabrill Peppers. Peppers won the 2016 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year on hype over the superior Ohio State safety Malik Hooker.

I would not balk at taking Barkley in the first round, but I have real problems taking him No. 1 overall. The quarterback need is too great.

I'd also keep an eye on the Dobbins guy, who might spin as many fantasies as J.K. Rowling.